


Not a Robert Smith song

by Tanni



Category: One Direction (Band), Radio 1 RPF
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2015-05-04
Packaged: 2018-03-28 23:48:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3874486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tanni/pseuds/Tanni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Harry's neighbours are very, very loud.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not a Robert Smith song

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fuluoliang](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuluoliang/gifts).



> Quick little giftie for [fuluoliang](http://archiveofourown.org/users/fuluoliang) on the glorious day of her birth, in honour of her own loud neighbours :).
> 
> (Many thanks to [patdkitten](http://archiveofourown.org/users/patdkitten) for looking this over for me! Any remaining mistakes are entirely and depressingly my own.)

**Monday**

Nick’s boyfriend moves in on a Monday. At least, Harry thinks it’s his boyfriend - he doesn’t really know Nick that well. Harry only moved in a few months ago and Nick seems to work very strange hours and isn’t home that often, so they don’t do much more than say hello to each other in the hall. Boyfriend or not, the stairwell is littered with boxes and crates, so _someone_ is definitely moving in with Nick upstairs.

Harry tries not to feel a little bit sad, he really does. It’s not like he ever asked Nick out for a drink, after all. But it does mess with his elaborate fantasies that all start with them bumping into each other halfway down the stairs and end with Harry getting his dick sucked with his back pressed against Nick’s refrigerator. He assumes Nick has a sturdy refrigerator.

He sternly tells himself not to fantasize about someone else’s presumed boyfriend, but somehow he still ends up peering through the security peephole in his door, trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious stranger. Outside his door stands a big cardboard box with the words _‘do not fucking touch!!!! 10,000 volts!’_ scribbled across it. He can’t actually see anyone, but he can hear someone puttering around upstairs, a sharp voice complaining about Nick not lifting a bloody finger to help.

“Maybe I should go upstairs and say hello?” Harry scoops up Dusty III with a hum. He’s not being nosy, he just wants to be helpful. Maybe scope out this new person in the process. He’s just being an involved neighbour, really. Dusty stares at him quietly and then swings a claw that barely avoids Harry’s nose.

“Rude. Fine. Maybe I’ll just bring them some cupcakes later or something?” He shrugs at Dusty III and sets her back down.

The cupcakes don’t make it out of Harry’s kitchen though. As the day progresses, things get _louder_ upstairs. Harry has never realized how thin the walls and ceiling are until today. By the time the sun sets, Nick and his new companion are having a full-blown fight, and Harry can just make out the word _‘tosser’_ before a door slams so loudly that Dusty III lets out a distressed mewl and bolts from the living room to hide under Harry’s bed.

Maybe he’ll just leave the cupcakes on their doorstep instead, he thinks.

 

**Tuesday**

“Fuck!” Louis nearly topples over and tries to keep his balance, foot still uselessly in the air instead of on the flat’s threshold, since said threshold has a small box on it. He briefly thinks that he must have forgotten to bring in one of his boxes, but the small cardboard thing on their doorstep is too fragile looking to be one of his. He frowns and bends down to retrieve it, rolling his eyes when Nick whistles appreciatively from somewhere behind him.

“Is that one of yours? I thought we brought everything inside?” Nick blinks, kettle in hand.

“First of all, piss off. I did all the work and you did nothing. And second of all, no.” He holds up the small note that reads _‘welcome to the building - Harry and Dusty III - PS the ones without glazing are gluten free’_. “One of your neighbours left these, probably in the hopes that I would break my neck. Weirdo.” He opens the box, whistling appreciatively at the display of cupcakes. “Weirdo who can cook though. Who’re Harry and Dusty? Sounds like a couple of nanas.”

“Harry is the boy who lives downstairs. I don’t know who Dusty is. Could be his nana, I suppose. And I’ll have you know that I was helping by clearing out shelves and drawers for you to occupy, thanks,” Nick says absently, snatching the note away from Louis. “Ooo, gluten free.”

Louis rolls his eyes again. “ _I’m_ the one who moved in, not you. They’re rightfully mine.” He pauses and smirks, smacking what passes for an arse on Nick. “But hey, enjoy your cardboard cupcakes, I’ll just have the ones that taste like actual food.”

“Magnanimous as always,” Nick muses, but he looks soft and pleased and it warms something in Louis’ gut. He wasn’t that pissed at Nick anyway.

 

**Wednesday**

It’s still dark outside when the noise wakes Harry, and a quick glance at the too-bright screen of his phone tells him it’s not even four in the morning yet. It takes him a moment to realize what woke him up, the bed frame upstairs thumping hard against the floor. 

“Definitely a boyfriend, then,” Harry mutters, pulling the pillow over his head in a half-hearted attempt to drown out the noise. Neither Nick nor his boyfriend are apparently the quiet type, and while things sound quite hot and steamy, Harry is _not_ a fan of 4 A.M. He gets out of bed with a sigh, makes himself some tea and pads back into the bedroom when things seem to have quieted down.

“Well. That was interesting, wasn’t it, buddy? Better invest in some quality ear plugs.” He sips his tea - it’s too hot and burns the roof of his mouth - and watches Dusty get up from the blanket nest at his feet, turn around twice and then flop back down in the same spot, eyes closed to slits. “Sorry, they don’t sell kitty ear plugs. At least they’re done now.”

That was a terrible thing to say, and he realizes his mistake the moment he sinks back down onto the pillow, because the rhythmic squeaking is slowly starting up again, right over his head. He can hear them now, too, the grunting and moaning muffled but strangely no less audible.

He closes his eyes and tries not to let his imagination run away with him. He definitely doesn’t let his hand drift over his stomach as the squeaking gets louder, trailing down and past his belly-button until he can give himself a few slow strokes.

“Oh, fucking hell!” someone shouts upstairs, and Harry’s eyes shoot open. He feels weirdly caught in the act, but it’s not enough to force his dick back into a resting position. He sighs, staring up at the ceiling and listening, resigning himself to his fate.

He just hopes the neighbours will remember to take breaks for sleep and nourishment.

 

**Thursday**

“That weird kid from downstairs left things at our door again.”

“Hm?” Nick frowns, scrubbing a hand over his face and trying to be present in the moment. He knows it’s the afternoon but he’s barely awake; his entire sleeping schedule has been off since Louis moved in and he’s pretty sure he’s getting sacked if he oversleeps one more time.

Louis dumps the box on the kitchen counter in front of Nick, who scratches his stomach and then flips it open. Inside are a handful of energy bars and two bottles of water. He stares at the strange gift for a moment in confusion before picking up the attached note, Louis standing on his tip-toes behind Nick to read over his shoulder. The note just reads _’please make sure to stay hydrated - H’_.

Nick is lost for words for one moment, then he’s laughing so hard he has to hold on to the marble top. Louis is grinning too, hopping up to sit on the kitchen counter and shaking his head. “Cheeky, that one!”

“Guess you’re not as quiet as you think you are, pal,” Nick says on a hum, studying his nails. “I must be doing something right.”

“Oh, don’t get a big head. Not my fault your walls and floors are paper thin,” Louis shoots back, but he’s smiling quietly so Nick knows he’s won this round. Which makes for a nice change, really, even if they both know perfectly well that Louis is a loud little thing in bed. But then, he’s loud _everywhere_ , and Nick wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Well, at least we have a neighbour who’s looking out for us.” Nick grins, twisting the cap from a bottle of water and downing it in big gulps. He _was_ feeling a bit dehydrated after all of last night’s exercise, so Harry clearly knows what he needs.

“That we do... I think this calls for a little experiment, don’t you?” Louis is watching him quietly, the look in his eyes devious. Nick knows that look, and it promises either really terrible or really amazing things, depending on Louis’ mood. Louis grabs his hand, giving it a yank and tugging him back into the bedroom, Nick following willingly.

Really amazing things, then.

When they finally emerge from the bedroom, sweat cooled on their backs and their legs still a bit wobbly - at least, Nick’s legs are wobbly and he suspects Louis’ are too, considering - it’s almost midnight. Even though they both passed out afterwards and got a good few hours of sleep in, Nick yawns and heads for the kitchen to make his meals for later. He has to be up again in a few hours and he’s too tired and fucked out to remember how to crack an egg, but he can’t exactly find it in himself to care.

Behind him, Louis crows victoriously.

“What is it now?” Nick turns around curiously, hiding a smile as Louis kicks the door shut with his heel - too loudly - and puts a small basket in front of Nick on the kitchen counter. Stuffed in between an array of cookies are a packet of vitamins and a tube of warming gel for strained muscles.

Nick laughs so hard Louis has to go fetch his inhaler.

“Brilliant.” Louis says, shaking his head once Nick can breathe again. “We’ve got to invite him over, Nick. Right now.”

Nick looks at the digital clock on the microwave, shifting on his feet. He’s too jittery to go back to sleep for those sad few hours, anyway. “Yeah, alright,” he says with a grin. Louis grins back and plants a smacking kiss against his cheek, before lying down flat on the living room carpet. He puts his mouth to the floor and shouts, too loudly, “Oi! Come up here, please!”

Somewhere in the next flat over, a man bangs a fist against the wall and yells, “Shut up!” 

Louis grins wickedly and all but skips over to the offending wall, trumpeting his hands around his mouth and bellowing, “Sorry!!”

 

**Friday**

Harry stands in front of Nick’s door. His hand is hovering pointlessly in the air, but somehow he can’t bring himself to knock. It seemed really funny at the time, leaving various items on his neighbours’ doorstep, but there are a lot of people who don’t find Harry’s jokes particularly funny, and he can’t shake the impression that he’s been summoned to the headmaster’s office.

On the other hand, he could have sworn he’d heard them laughing, so maybe it won’t be so bad. He frowns a little in determination and knocks on the door before he can change his mind.

It swings open and then there’s Nick, wearing boxers and an old Run DMC shirt and looking scrumptious. His hair is a tangled mess, but judging from the sounds Harry’s been hearing tonight, it would be. 

“Hello,” Harry says politely. He peers around Nick’s chest to say hello to his new neighbour as well, and - oh. He looks very soft, not just sleep-soft but more like a generally soft. Harry wants to go bury his face in his shirt. He won’t though, he’s pretty sure that’s bad form when you don’t even know a person’s name. He quickly looks around the flat instead. “Oh, sturdy refrigerator,” he hums, glad to see his assumptions confirmed.

“What?” Louis is staring at him like he’s sprouted a second head.

“Nothing important. Hi. I’m Harry,” he says quickly, giving him a little wave.

“Louis. I think we have you to thank for the cupcakes, and for everything else?” he says drily. He raises an eyebrow, and Harry’s stomach swoops. He looks mildly threatening, this Louis, and Harry suddenly realizes - much too late - that his life could become rather difficult if he’s already managed to get on this particular neighbour’s bad side.

“Stop frightening him, Louis.” Nick rolls his eyes, draping an arm around Harry’s shoulders and steering him towards the sofa. “Don’t mind him, he’s all bark and no bite. Well, mostly no bite. Anyway, we thought it was hysterical.”

“We did.” Louis nods and sits down cross-legged on the coffee table, watching Harry with a barely hidden smile. “But still, that was very cheeky of you.” He pauses thoughtfully, his eyes not leaving Harry’s. “So how much could you hear, then?”

Harry blinks. They’re both watching him very intently, almost like they don’t mind knowing that he was listening in. The thought sends a jolt through him. Not to be outdone, he leans forward on his elbows and frowns. “Well, I know that your language is _terrible_ in the bedroom. I felt really lucky that my Mum wasn’t visiting for the weekend. But I suspect you may have traumatized the cat.”

Nick laughs, his ears a little pink. “Yeah he’s terrible, that one. I’m always amazed he kisses his mother with that mouth.”

“Oh please, your mouth goes in _way_ worse places than mine.” Louis smirks. Nick squawks, and Harry stares at them both for a long moment before he can’t hold back the giggles anymore, and then he’s folded in half, clutching his stomach laughing. He’s aware of Nick and Louis having some sort of wordless discussion over his head but he’s laughing too hard to care.

He only comes back to himself when Louis shakes his head and leans over him. “Fuck, you’re adorable. Stop that,” he says sternly, and kisses Harry hard.

“That’s not a problem, is it?” Nick asks after Louis has released his hold on Harry’s mouth. He looks a bit nervous about the situation and he really, _really_ shouldn’t, Harry thinks.

He just shakes his head, smiling. Louis and Nick smile back quietly and it’s full of promise. “Course not. I spent the better part of the last few days getting myself off to your little soundtrack. About time you invited me over,” he says primly.

“Oh, I like him.” Louis grins as Nick curls a hand into Harry’s t-shirt collar and pulls him close for a kiss.

“Wait, how do I know where your mouth’s been?” Harry says innocently, and Louis barks out a laugh next to him.

“Oh shut up, both of you.” Nick grins wide and drags Harry and Louis into the bedroom.

\----


End file.
